Advice on my 8 wk old kitten?

Question

I got her about 2 weeks ago , and her name is Shay ( short for shadow) cause everywhere my dog, sadie goes she goes, she is alert and eats well and loves to cuddle, she is the runt of the litter her littermates were twice her size, she uses the litter box very well , she knows when she is hungry , and she eats 3 to 4 times a day, she watches everything we do , and follows us around and will cuddle up with you , but she doesn't look like she is growing, and she doesn't play at all,

Answer 1

She may just be a very docile kitten, i wouldn't worry about it just yet. As long as she is eating, drinking, and using the litterbox, not vomiting, she's probably fine. Sounds like she could just be needing the attention because it hasn't been too long since she's been away from her litter. She'll grow, give her time. Runts can take a bit more time to catch up but she will. She should be getting her first vet visit right about now so I'd set that up. They will be able to tell you for sure her health status as well. Make sure to start deworming as well.

Answer 2

It sounds like she is doing well with following the dog around. Did you get this cat from a breeder? I just got another siamese kitten in Aug and when I got him he did not know how to play. This is not uncommon. You may have to teach your kitten how to play. She will come around being only 8 weeks old. She is the runt of the litter you say so she will never grow to be a full size cat. You wont see a huge difference in 2 weeks anyways and being around your cat all the time it is probably hard to realize that they are growing and she probably has grown since you got her. If you are skeptical you can always mesure her and then measure her again in 2 weeks time. I got my cat at 6 weeks old and I have now had him for 2.5 months and he has only doubled in size. Also some cats are just not as playful by nature. Some would rather sun themselves. I hope everything works out for you. I am sure you are just nervous because this is a new kittten. If they toys are too big she might not be interetested. I would suggest what I have found best for kittens and that is the tiny balls you can get at the pet stores, not the hard ones, but the foam soft ones. They love to roll them across the floor.

Answer 3

This is normal for a runt. I have a cat that was the runt of my other cats litter. She got prg before I was able to get her fixed. She had 2 runts and 2 normal sized cats. The 2 are still the smallest after about 5 months. About not playing, this is normal for some cats, sometimes they do play, and sometimes they don't play. :o) Good luck!

Answer 4

I fostered a litter of 5 kittens with their mom last year and it seemed like they would stay the same weight for 2 weeks then have a growth spurt. As long as your little one is eating well, drinking plenty of water, not showing any problems in the litter box, then she'll grow. Do you have different toys for her to play with? Some of the kittens at the shelter I volunteer with love the mylar (foil) balls that crinkle and are shiny. Some love the feather wands. They love scratching posts. There are endless ideas for toys for kittens. If you can get some dry catnip, dip one of the toys in it and let her sniff it, I bet you'll see some action then! My cats go nuts over the catnip.

Answer 5

Are you feeding her kitten food? If so I would imagine that she will start getting bigger soon. If she is not overly skinny and everything else seems ok don't worry about it. Sometimes runts just take a bit longer to catch up. If you are really concerned you could take her to the vet for a check-up. Or you could try mixing some kitten milk replacer in with her food to try adding a little weight. Don't give her too much or she will get the runs. But unless her behavior starts changing I wouldn't worry.

Answer 6

she will most likely always be smaller then some other cats but she will grow but you have only had her 2 weeks it takes some time. As for the playing thing she may never really play but at this point she may not know what to do, you should try and play with her to try and encourage it. Keep toys around so she has access to them and can play if she wants to. Keep in mind that she is still getting used to your house and her new family so give her some time to come around more.

Answer 7

Has she been to the vet? Cats grow at different rates. If the vet says she is ok then I would not worry. Maybe she has worms?

One of my cats never played. In fact she was afraid of the toys I bought her. However, now that she goes outside she is the best hunter ever. My most recent kitten is the playingest cat I have ever had. Their personalities differ, just like people.

Answer 8

First thing to check is what you are feeding her. She should be on proper kitten food for the first 12 months - whether dry or wet food. Kitten food has all the nutrients needed for growth. What are you giving her to play with? Kittens need lots of play and should do it naturally - it's how they develop their skills in the wild. You should play with her,too, not just give her toys. She may not know what to do with them. Even if she isn't exhibiting any signs of illness I'd get her checked out by a vet to rule out any growth abnormalities, thyroid problems etc. You should also get all her vaccinations started if you haven't already done so and plan on having her spayed.

Answer 9

Some cats are just smaller. My female cat is very small compared to my male. A friend of mine has a female cat who is TINY compared to her male. Cat's just come in different sizes.

If she really doesn't play at all, though, you may want to take her to the vet to have her checked out. She could easily have a viral or bacterial infection that's making her feel less like playing that could be quickly detected and cleared up with antibiotics. Whenever my male is sick he gets extremely cuddly (wants to be held constantly - not his normal M.O.) and stops playing with my female, whom he typically won't leave alone. So make sure she's not sick. If she's not, then it may just be her personality.

Answer 10

Get her to a vet for a check up. She will be due for de-worming medication and a general check up. Kittens are not born with worms, but they get them from mom, the minute they start nursing. It is a normal body function of mom, they come out of the dormant stage and leave mom's muscle area, when she starts to feed. However; kitty needs to be treated several times, before these pests are gone. Go see a vet, as soon as you can. Kittens can become quite ill, if this is the problem and they are not treated.